


Nothing But Show Business

by FleetSparrow



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Dick and Damian look out for each other, always.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105
Collections: Dick Grayson Fic Exchange 2020





	Nothing But Show Business

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greyheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyheart/gifts).



Dick was holding court with the Gotham bachelorettes, while Bruce mingled for business, and Damian glared at everyone from Dick’s side.

Damian had wanted to go with Bruce around the gala--“In case Batman and Robin are needed, I should be with him”--but two boring businessmen later, Damian had found his way back to Dick. Despite looking very adult and imperious in his tuxedo, Damian was being cooed at by the same sycophants who were all but pawing Dick. He could tolerate the gushing over him, but he would not stand for the way they treated Dick.

Finally, Damian had had enough.

“Grayson. It’s time,” he said, tugging on Dick’s sleeve.

“Excuse me,” Dick said cheerfully, pulling his arm gently away from a woman twice his age who’d been feeling him up. “Bedtime for my little brother. If you see Bruce, please let him know we’ve gone home.”

“Oh, do come back, darling!” one of the women said.

Dick just smiled and put a hand on Damian’s shoulder. “Come on, Damian. Bedtime for Bonzo!”

With grace and no uncertain amount of pressure, Dick steered Damian out of the main hall. Once they were far enough away from the party that the sounds no longer reached them, they stopped and sighed. Dick’s posture immediately sagged and he leaned against the wall for support.

“Thanks, Damian. That was getting intense.”

“You need to learn to stand up for yourself, Grayson,” Damian said, watching him intently. “Father has mastered it perfectly.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Twenty years of practice went into that, Damian.” He pushed himself off the wall. “OK. Let’s get you home.”

“Grayson, it is not my bedtime.”

“Well, maybe it’s mine.”

“Grayson, you don’t sleep until sunup.”

“Ah, that’s not strictly true,” Dick said, leading Damian towards the exit. “Dick Grayson always gets his eight hours in.”

Damian side-eyed him. “When was the last time any of us got--?”

“Hush, small child!” Dick said, ruffling Damian’s hair. He pulled his hand back in mild disgust. “What on Earth is in your hair?”

“Gel. Jon gave me some.”

Dick rubbed his hand clean on the back of Damian’s jacket, and Damian squawked. He batted Dick’s hand away and straightened his jacket.

“Grayson, you’re ridiculous.”

Dick smiled. “Come on. Dick and Damian have to get to bed.”

Damian sighed. “You and Father both do that.”

“Do what?”

“Talk about yourselves in third person.”

“Says the self-called ‘Son of Batman’,” Dick said.

“That’s different. I’m just reminding you of my place in the family.”

Dick chuckled. “Maybe once you can fill out the big pants, I’ll--”

Screams came from the banquet hall and Dick froze. They spun around, but there was no sign of anyone in their corridor.

“Got it on?” Dick asked.

“Of course,” Damian said.

Dick grabbed Damian’s arm and yanked him into a side room.

A minute later, Nightwing and Robin burst into the hall in time to see Harley go swinging from the chandeliers as vines and leaves filled the room.

Harley landed on the stage in front of the now silent band. “That’s right! Everything into the bags. Let’s go!” she said into the microphone. “Let’s get those jewels off, people!”

Ivy was the first to spot Nightwing and Robin.

“You two!”

She sent vines shooting off in their direction, ready to impale them where they stood. Nightwing and Robin scattered, narrowly avoiding the razor sharp leaves on each vine.

“Aw, can’t you guys give a couple gals a break?” Harley asked. “We’re just trying to bring in some funding!”

“Yes,” Ivy said, getting one of the ornamental bushes in the gala to whack Nightwing across the middle. “Don’t you ever learn you’re not wanted?”

“Well, gosh, Ivy,” Nightwing said, dodging the next bush. “You two are just so irresistible.”

Robin sliced through a vine and Ivy shrieked.

“Red!” Harley cried out.

She leapt off the stage, running after Robin with her mallet. Nightwing threw an eskrima toward her. It passed her, hit the wall, and ricocheted back, catching her on the temple. Harley yelped as she went down, landing in a heap on the ground.

“Ow….”

Robin rushed Ivy, dodging vines and leaves as they flew at him. He was almost to her when the fly-trap she’d come in on opened its maw and gobbled him up.

“Nightwing!” Robin yelled just before the mouth shut.

Nightwing had been tying up Harley, but he immediately dropped her again when he heard Robin call for him, running towards the plant. Robin didn’t have long with as caustic as the acids of Ivy’s plants were, especially those giants.

Transferring his sticks to one hand, he pulled out a wingding and threw it at the stem of the plant. The blade severed the stalk and the great head fell. Nightwing dropped beside it and used one eskrima to pry the dead mouth open. Robin came tumbling out, covered in acidic slime.

“They’re getting away,” Robin said, as Nightwing started wiping off his face. “I’m fine!”

There was a sudden hush in the hall, then a great thud, a moment of silence, and then the banquet hall erupted in applause. Nightwing and Robin looked around in confusion.

Batman was over at the doors. Harley and Ivy were tied up together, the Gotham police already there to take them back to Arkham. The revelers were pushing their way towards Batman, even as the police tried to keep them back. Nightwing sighed and finished cleaning off Robin.

“Come on, Robin. Time to go.”

Once they had retrieved their suits, they headed to one of the nearby safe houses so Robin could change.

“I don’t understand, Grayson,” Damian said as he dressed again. “Why did they cheer Father when we did all the fighting?”

“Gotham loves Batman,” Dick said.

“That’s foolish. We did all the work.” Dick ruffled Damian’s hair, this time with the protection of his glove. Damian ducked away, smoothing out his hair, and pulled up his hood. “Grayson!”

Dick laughed. “Sorry. I won’t mess up your mane anymore, Simba.”

Damian shook his head, so very aggrieved. “Have you always been silly, Grayson?”

“Just gets worse the older I get,” Dick said. “Now, you wanna go out on patrol, or not?”

“Of course, I do!” Damian put on his mask and sighed. “I will tolerate your silliness, Grayson. For Father.”

“That’s the spirit, little bro,” Dick said, scooping Damian into a one-armed hug. “Come on. We’ve gotta show Batman we’re more than just the clean up committee. You ready yet?”

“I was born ready, Grayson. Quite literally.”


End file.
